When most of us think about a fish tank, we imagine bowls that are kept in the home, decorated by us, and filled with our favorite fish. Other people though, prefer to see a fish tank as a more natural area for fish to live. They choose to have an outdoor area for their fish and often create spaces that have more decoration than what you would find inside a home. However, with their love of creating “natural” aquariums, they must also focus some attention on outdoor aquarium maintenance.
Outdoor Aquariums
Have you ever been to a park or something and see a pond that is filled with very colorful fish that appear to be goldfish, only huge in size? These fish are beautiful, can be seen even in murkier water, and grow to be amazingly sized. Perhaps it is their beauty that makes people wish they could own some, but most of the time it is their sheer size. They are also known as “Koi” and there are many reasons people say that you should have a koi pond at your home.
Why Have Koi?
Koi ponds can be created in a variety of styles. They are all beautiful and they do encourage plants to grow nearby that attract butterflies and birds to the area. You can have a koi pond built for you, create your own, or turn an old, unused swimming pool into a koi pond by finding someone who handles marcite pool resurfacing. Koi are beautiful to see and relaxing to enjoy. Some say that they relieve stress and make recovery faster for someone who has had a stroke. This also makes them great for people with high blood pressure. If you are hoping to sell your home, a koi pond can increase property value and in Japan, the koi is considered to bring good luck to people. These fish will bring nature to your back yard, but also eliminate the need for mosquito control if you have happy and healthy fish. They are also perhaps some of the friendliest fish you can own, and they have been known to eat food right out of a person’s hand.
Caring for a Koi Pond
As with all types of aquariums, you will need to have a koi pond properly set up in order for the fish to thrive. Their pond needs to have water pumps, filters, chemicals that can help you keep the water clean and free of bacteria and more. Some say that this takes more thought and planning than an indoor tank since you will need to make sure to have a drain at the bottom of the pond for waste to go and you will have to clean it occasionally. Outdoor aquariums are also unique from indoor aquariums because they become a part of the landscaping of your yard. You can create a waterfall, which helps with aeration in the pond, and you can have green plants of all types surrounding it. This means you have rocks, exotic plants, and other things outside of your pond and not just a little decoration inside the tank.